Steering wheel spinner



July 24, 1951 P. F WHITE 2,561,961

` STEERING WHEEL SPINNER Filed Nov. 23, 1948 I f f f l Z5 y n f ff 5 i \25 \f fa f6 /z e 2a fa ze V ff 4 27 n /4 `Patented July 24, A1951 Paul F.. White, Ellyn, Ill., assigner to Santay Corporation,y Chicago, Ill.,.- a corporation of nlinois Application November 23,11948, Serial No. 61,658

. `This invention relates to steering wheel spin- -ners and more particularly to spinners which-are ,-.foldable to move from operative to inoperative position. Y y Oneof the objects of the invention isto pro.-

vide a spinner which is movable aboutanaxis generally radial to the steering wheel rim ito an upright operative Vposition or to an inoperative position substantially in the plane'of the steering wheel. Preferably, the spinnerlies onthe inner .side of the wheel rim to leave the rim substantially .unobstructed when thespinner is in its inoperative position.

Another object is to provide a spinner which .urgedto its inoperative position by a-spring and fwhich may belatched in its operative position. y Still another object is to provide a spinner vwhich is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which is easy to install on a steering Wheel.

According to one feature of the invention a single -screw serves both to clamp the spinner to the wheel and to hold the spinner parts assembled.

The above and other objects and radvantages .of the invention will be morereadily apparent when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in Whichs y Figure 1 is a partial -plan view of asteering lwheel equipped with a spinner embodying the vinvention showing the spinner in operative posi'- ftion; Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing 'the spinner in inoperative position; :-Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig- 1111345.

Figure 4 is a section on ure 3; v Y.

Figure 5 is a partial section similar to Figure 4 showing the spinner knob in inoperative position; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig- ,ure 4.

lThe spinner of the present invention can lbe mounted on any conventional type of steering wheel having an annular rim as shown at I!! which is connected by suitable spokes or the like 'to-a central wheel hub. The spinner itself comprises a hollow body I I which may be in the form 'oia die casting or the like and which has curved the une 4 4. frig- `adjacentthe'body and a portion I5 Aoi reduced Idiameter at its outer end. When the body is mounted on a steering wheel rim, the spindle will extend radially inward from the rim, as shown. To secure the body to a rim clamping means rareinfovided shown as including a flexible strap I6 to extend around the rim and having its ends .overlapping against a threaded block Il.

The endsof the strap may be secured to the block I1 or mayloosely overlie the same, if desired, and are formed with openings registering with a `threaded opening in the block. The strap I6 is adaptedA to extend around the steering wheel rim, as seen, for example, in Figure 3, and whenthe blockiI'I is drawn into the hollow body Il the .jaw portions I 2 of the body will be drawn securely -against the rim to clampy the body securely thereto.

, The spindle I4 rotatably carries a knob having a tubular hub portion I8 which ts rotatably on the spindle and an outwardly extending post I9 integral with the hub portion. The post I9 rotatably-carries a knob formed by a hollow lower knob part 2l having a tubular hub 22 to t rotatably over the post I9. At its upper end the post is formed with a reduced extension having a groove therein to receive a C-washer 23 to hold lthe. lower knob part 2l on the post. The knob is completed by'a cover part 24 tting over the lower body part and cemented or otherwise secured thereto. The cover 24 may have a sleeve 25thereon to extend over the hub part 22 and I to hold the C-washer 23 against accidental disjaw portions I2 adjacent its edges to t against.

the inner surface of the steering wheel rim. Y The jawl portions may, if desired,` be providedfwith pads `I3=Ytoengage the wheel rim to provide a better grip against the rim. At one end the body has projecting therefrom a tubular stepped spindle I4 having a portion of maximum diameter placement as more particularly described and claimed in the Patent to Deer, No. 2,441,061. vWith this construction the knob is secured to the hub portion I8 and can rotate freely aboutthe post I9.-

' The knob is adapted to move from an upright roperative position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, to an inoperative position, as shown in Figures 2 l:spindle I4 and having one end, as shown at 2l, ,extending into a slot in the spindle I I4. The

opposite end of the spring extends radially out- Ward therefrom as shown at 28 and is received in a notch 29 in the hub I8. The spring is so tensioned when the hub is mounted on Vthe spindle that it, urges the vknob toward its inoperative position as shown in Figures 2 and 5.

The knob is held in its operative position for use by a latch comprising a T-shaped bar 3l slidf I if' 2,561,961

able radially of the spindle in a groove 32 formed in the body Il. As seen in Figures 4 and 5, the cross bar of the T lies in the groove 32 and the base 33 of the T extends into a circumferential groove 34 formed in the hub i8. The latch is urged outward by a compression spring 35 lying in a recess in the spindle I4 and engaging the projection .33 `of the latch to urge it outward. At one end ofthe recess 34 a notch 36 is provided to receive the projection 33 of the latch as best seen in Figures 4 and 6.

When the knob is in its inoperative position,

as shown in Figures 2 and 5, the latch is pressed inward and the projection 33 thereon lies in the recess 34. At this time the knob is free to turn on the spindle and the spring 26 will urge it to its inoperative position in which it lies substantially in the plane of the steering wheelrim. En-

gagement of the projection 33 with the :end of the recess 34 will limit movement of the knob to this position. To move `the knob to its operative Zposition the operator needs only to grasp lit and @turn it to the position shown in Figures 1 and y3. 'When the knob vvis upright the projection33' will Iregister withthe notch 36 and will be moved into rim of a steering wheel, a spindle on the body projecting radially inward from the steering wheel rim when the body is mounted, a knob having a tubular hub portion rotatably mounted on the spindle for movement of the knob from an upright -operative position to an inoperative position generally in the plane of the wheel, a spring urging the knob to its inoperative position, and

'a latch bar mounted on the body for radial sliding thereon, a lateral projection on the latch bar extending into the hub portion, the hub portion vbeing formed with a. notch to receive the projection, and :a spring urging the latch bar toward the notch.

" clamping means on the body to connect it to the Athe notch by the spring 35 to latch the knob Apress inward on the latch bar 3i moving it from `Athe position of Figure 4 to the position of Figure V-5 and at the same time moving the projection'33 rout of the notch 36 so that the spring 26 can again move the knob to its inoperative position. It will be vseen that in the inoperative position the iknob lies adjacent to the inner edge of the steering wheel rim in a position Where it presents minimum interference to use of the steering wheel 1and where it occupies a minimum amount of space within the rim.

l f In order to hold the knob parts assemled and I'to operatethe clamp mechanism a cap 31 is fitted 4'over the outer end of the reduced spindle portion '15. vThe cap may be recessed to receive a y"C-washerS fitting into a groove in the spindle portion *'15 which normally functions to prevent accidentalremoval of the knob. A screw 39 eX- tends through the cap and through the spindle to 'ithread into the block il thereby drawing the "block into 'the spinner body I I to clamp it to the '.wheel rim and at the same time drawing the cap 131 against the spindle to hold the C-washer '38 and the knob hub assemled on the spindle.

'To mount the spinner it is necessary only to -loosen the screw 3S to release the strap i6 so that it 'can be wrapped around a wheel rim and to assemble the ends of the strap andthe block I1 on the end of the screw, as shown. When the screw is tightened, it will draw the block I1 into thehollow body Il to clamp the body `securely fonv the wheel rim and at the same time will draw the cap 31 tightly against `the outer end of the spindle. Thus the parts can be assemled quickly and easily by means of a single screw.

While one embodiment of the invention has 2. 'A steering wheel spinner comprising a body,

rim of a steering wheel, a spindle yon the body `projecting radially inward from the steering wheel rim when the body is mounted, a knob having a tubular hub portion rotatably mounted on the spindle for movement of the knob from an `upright: operative position to 'an inoperativ'e'position'ge'nerally in the plane of the wheel, a'spring urging the knob to its inoperative position, the body having a laterally extending recess therein, a latchfbar slidable in the recess and having a projection thereon projecting into a circular recess in the knob hub portion, and-the 'knobhub portion having a lateral notch oepning into the circular recess to receive the :latch projection thereby to latch the knob in its operative position.

'3. A steering wheel spinner comprising a body, clamping means on the body to connect it to the rim of a steering wheel, a spindle' on f'thebody projecting radially `inward from the steering wheel rim when the lbody is mounted, aknob having atubular hub portion rotatably mounted on the spindlefor movement of the knob r'from-an upright operative position'to an inoperative position generally 4in Vythe plane of the wheel, a spring urging the knoby to its inoperative position, said spring comprising Aa coil spring coiled around 'the vspindle anchored at one end to the spindle and alt vits other end to the knob-hub portion, and a latch carried by the'body to latch the knob in its operative position. i

4. A steering wheel spinner comp-rising a hol- "low body, clamping means carried by 'the body to REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inlthe iile of this patent:

UNITED -sTATEs PATENTS ff@ YNumber Name Datei f Y1,866,111 Jonesl July-5, 1932 42,101,519 Thorp f Dec.r'?,l 1937 2,139,546 Hansen r r Decf, 1938 j FOREIGN PATENTS g :Number .Country u y y l Date 1 A'753,2441 France ,E '--Oct. "11,1933

France f c. Feb. 25,1938 

